Readiness Research

Why Youth Preparedness?
Families that fail to prepare and families that cannot prepare increase the vulnerable communities population before/during/after a disaster.

As leaders in the movement to Prepare America and New Orleans, we seek to educate and empower families through youth programs and preparedness resources that also emphasize financial literacy.

24% of New Orleans population is living below the federal poverty line.
42% of that poor population is comprised of children age 5 to 17 years old.
About 1 in 4 families cannot afford basic necessities. (Sources: 2010 Census)
Those who plan – prosper. Small steps to save money and prepare go a long way.

Children as Influencers:
Children have unique needs during an emergency, but they also have unique talents.

The Big Wanda book and THF Youth Preparedness Program aim to increase the probability that children we educate – understand basic first aid skills and basic emergency communication methods.

Youth will prepare their families once trained: educators agree that children are the best messengers for home-based preparedness and can convince their parents to prepare.

Emergency evacuation is costly, especially for struggling families without access to transportation.
Asset Poverty is defined as not having the financial means to support a household (of three) for three months at the federal poverty level ($4,632) if the primary source of income were lost or disrupted due to an unexpected crisis.

37% of all New Orleans residents live in asset poverty.
50% of African-American New Orleans households live in asset poverty,
40% of Latino households and 24% of Asian households. (Sources: CFED)

Children as Leaders & First Responders:
Today’s children can become leaders who ensure future generations are also prepared.

Youth can become advocates for hurricane preparedness and wetland restoration when equipped, trained and educated to do so.

During an emergency, prepared children are more confident than their unprepared peers. Preparing children ahead of time can help mitigate symptoms of severe post-disaster PTSD.

Three months after Hurricane Katrina and the flood wall failures, Team Happy Foundation, formerly Blanket New Orleans, Inc., was on the ground delivering cleaning supplies and essentials to residents. THF has supported each phase of our renaissance, honoring the 1,836 lives lost and fighting for families too often excluded from the process. Today, we have one mission: to inspire the next generation of first responders and wetland scientists.